Locomotive spring equalizing system



Oct. 20, 1931. l J. c. TRAVILLA, JR

LOCOMOTIVE SPRING EQUALIZING SYSTEM Filed March 6', 1931 U if JAMES c.TRAVILLA, m, or. PHILADELPHEA,TPENNSYLVANIA, assrenongro errmnr mr. 1-,

:srnnn oas'rmes CORPORATION, or GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS, A; CORPORATION.oF

aDELAWARE v nooonorivnsreiue EoUA Izme-sYs'rEM .Appliea tion filedMarch'G,

My invention relates to; railwa rolling stock andfconsists in --a novelequ'ahzer ar- -ra-ngement for connectingsets' of Wheelsupported springswhere the superstructure is amounted on two ormore setsf Wheels. "'A'familiar example of'such structure is found in locomotives Where theaxles of' the trail fling truck under-the rear end of the locojmotive"are providedwith one spring sysr ad-teem and-another, spr ngsystem 1sprovlclecl 7v =iforthe driveraxles under 'the mam frame; I

Various arrangements for, effecting; equalization of the two springsystems are"desc-ribed' *i n 'Patents -Nos. 1,703,525 and 1,7 03,526 isv sued to G. Hallquist onFeb'ruary'QfS,1929; "It is usually desirable tolocate the trailing V truck springs outside of the Wheel g'au'ge'toaccommodate the firebox, hereas; the" main drivers'prlngs are-usuallyin'slde-the 'Wheel :;;au; m1 e. Hence, equalizers directly connect? 5 Iing the truck and'nrain spring'systelnsn ust extend diagonally andfrequently are-located too elose to the rear-driver to properly cle'arthe brake rigging. The I-Iallquisfl' patents metth-is situationbyhanging a longitfud-inal bar from the rear end of the rear driverspring anklfrom a braoketlocated eitheron the truck frame orthemainframe cradle directly be-' bind the main driver spring, andsupporting *tl1'e fro'nten'd of the equalizer from the inter-mediateportion ofthis bar, e V

"*H'allqui'st Patent 1,703,526, Figures 4 and I 5, discloses astructure; inwhich 'thejffont end of the longitudinal baris'connectedtoll the rear -enjd Oi the rear driver spring by' :means' of a'vertical'hanger :instead I of being isuspended i from the drlve'r Ispring through 1 931. seriaruq. 520,526. e j r occupied by-boltingelements whichsweuld interfere With'the' longitudinal barimthisposition. J i V 1 One ofthe objects of the present invention;ist'oprovide an equalizing arrangement- 1in 5 which the transverse baror; equalizer'iseliini- I nated but which can beapplied-to -alocomo-,jtlve frame structure in whichE'the cradlefis separate and is bolted tothelocomotive ma-in s Another object of; the present invention is toprovide equalizing "members which "will clear both thebrakerigging-alndthefi-rebox foundation ringffor locomotives having the usual clearance'eonditions between mudi ringi'6 and frameand between brake-grigging'and front t'railer Wheel Other l objeotsi man s 1 :reduce the number ofparts requiredfto com epletev the equalizing arrangement and-to re-,

duce'the Weight ofthe equalizing strueture fi and-to reduce theattentionreguiredifdr f-rewquent inspection and maintenance. 7

I attain these objects and others'substan tially by mountinga-bardiagonally between I a link depending fromthe'rear end 0f-the"70 rear:driver spring and 'a bracket; projecting from a point onflthe-cradle-crossmemberim mediately at the-rear of the drivers-but near- 7er th'ef'eenter line of the locomotive a'nd 'then suspending anequalizer, f pivotally isupp'ort-75 .ing the trailing truck, from thisbar and the front truck spring. a

I illustrateaseleeted embodiment of V I invention in the accompanyingdravvirngrs in",

Figure 1 is a top view of a=longitudinal half of a locomotive cradle andtrailing truck. V Figure'2 is a side View ofthe'same,

"i 'Figure 3 "is a detail-elevation ofiithe di-. o iagonal bar taken onthe line 3 3 of; Figure'1. I The locomotive mainframe-is indicated atland is provided With a rearzextens'ion or.

cradle 2 which carries 5 the :fi'r'ebox' :struoture 1 including-mud ring3.anolz-washpan4Q TBrake -hanger brackets 16 are-formed integral with"each other by the lever 11 and are equalized with the main frame springsystem by levers 12 and 13, the arrangement of which, to gether withassociated parts, constitutes my present invention. The cradle 2 issupported on the rear end of the trailer truck through the usualarrangement of rockers (not shown) seated in the pocket 14.

The rear end of driver spring 6 carries link 15 which supports theforward end of lever 13 disposed diagonally of the locomotive centerline and fulcrumed at 17 on lugs preferably formed integral with thecradle 2. ,Link. 18 is suspended from lever 13' intermediate the ends ofthe latter and supports the forward end of the lever 12. The other endof lever 12 is carried by the front end of the truck spring 19 through alink 20 and lever 12is fulcrumed between its ends tothe transverse frontmember 22, of the truck' frame,thereby supporting the latter.

The above described arrangement eliminates theuse of cross equalizersextending 1 between the rear driver springs and cross equalizersextending between the front truck springs. Theequalizer connections aremoved taway-fro-m the brake rigging and from the firebox, whichobviously facilitates their asr.sembly and operation. The location ofthe fulcrum .17 for lever 13 near to the center plate structure 21through whichthe locomotive mainframe and cradle are supported reducesthe stress 1n the cradle. This makes possible a reduction in the weightof the adj acent cradle structure and the pattern work i is simplifiedwhere the cradle is cast.

I It will be understood that the location of the lug 17 on the cradlemay be varied and the equalizing levers l2 and 13 may be disposed at anysuitable angle to each other, as long as the lever 13 clears the fireboxfoundation ring 3 andthe equalizer 12'does not interfere with the brakerigging adjoining the rear driver. Obviously, various other details .ofconstruction may be varied without departlng from the spirit of myinvention and I contemplate the exclusive use of all such variations ascome within the scope of my ;.claims. I

I claim-e 1. In alocomotive, a mainframe, asup portlng spring therefor,a. lever supported at one end from said sprlng and extending di-...agonally inwardly and rearwardly of said spring to afulcrum point onsaid frame, a

truckframe, a supporting spring therefor,

; and a truck framesupporting equalizer car-f ried by said truck springand said lever at a point on the latter between its fulcrum and itssupport.

2. In a locomotive, a main frame, a supporting spring therefor, a truckframe, a supporting spring therefor, a diagonal lever supported at itsrespective ends from one of said frames and from the spring supportingthat frame, and a truck supporting equalizer supported at its respectiveends from the other of said springs and from said lever.

3. In a locomotive, a main frame, a supporting spring therefor, a truckframe, a supporting spring therefor, a diagonal lever supported at itsrespective ends from a transverse element on'said main frame and fromsaid main frame supporting spring, and an equalizer pivotally supportingsaid truck frame and suspended at one end from said truck framesupporting spring and at its other end from said leven.

4. In a-locomot-ive, a mainframe, a support ng spring therefor, a truckframe, a

supporting spring therefor, a firebox positioned substantially abovesaid truckframe, a lever extending diagonally of said main -frame andsupported at its respective ends from said main frame and from saidmain: .framespring,and a truck supporting equal- 'yizer supported at itsrespective ends from said truck spring and said lever, said lever ,beingarranged to avoid said firebox throughout its length. I

5. In a loc'omotive,'drivingwheels, a; main frame compris ng sideportions and a transverse member between the rear ends of said portions,a spring supporting said frame from. said wheels, a brakehanger 'on-saidframe: adjacent said transverse member, a brake hung from said hangerand adapted tov be applied. to the rearmostone of said wheels, a truck.frame comprising side members and a transverse member connecting the Iforward ends ofsaid members, a supporting springfor said truck, afirebox supported by said main frame and positioned substantially abovesaid truck frame transverse member, a diagonal lever supported from saidmain frame spring and a point on said main frame transverse memberspaced from said firebox, and a truck supporting equalizer supported.from said truck spring and said lever and spaced throughout its lengthfrom said driver brake.

6.: In a locomotive, a main frame including a cradle,'a driving wheel, aspring supporting supporting spring therefor, a firebox supported bysaid cradle and. extending over the mainframe spring and said truckspring comprising a. bar extending rearwardly and said frame from saidwheel, a truck frame, a

inwardly from saidmain frame spring to fulcrum point on said main frameand an equalizer extending diagonally of said bar, said bar and saidequalizer being spaced from said firebox. V a

7. In a'locomotive, a frame comprising a portion abreast of the driversand a separate 6 cradle secured to said portion, a supporting spring forsaid frame, a truck frame, a supporting spring therefor, a diagonallever supported at its respective ends fromone of said frames and fromthespring supporting that frame, and a truck supportingequalizer-supported at its respective ends from the other of saidsprings and from said lever.

In testimonywhereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 27th dayofFebruary, 1931. V

5 7 JAMES C. TRAVILLA, JR.

